Matt Scandrett is showing his photographs of Cuba in an exhibition which is part of the E17 Art Trail. He talks to Nick Elvin

Young Olympic boxing hopefuls in training, wise old men sat by their windows watching the world go by, and striking socialist murals. These are just a few of the images captured by Walthamstow photographer Matt Scandrett in Cuba – pictures that aim to show modern life inside the last bastion of communism in the West.

Twenty-five of these photos are about to go on display in his exhibition A Lo Cubano, as part of the E17 Art Trail, which starts next week.

Matt took the photographs when he returned to the island ten years after his first visit, and they document life in the days leading up to the 50th anniversary of the 1959 revolution.

“The country was so different to anywhere else I’d visited,“ says Matt. “There were difficulties there, but the people were so full of life and got on with it and I felt a buzz about the place. It was so photogenic – the cars, the people. I’ve been there three times now, and it gets better every time.“ On returning to Cuba, Matt noticed many changes had taken place.

“It seems to be wealthier. The first time I went there were long queues for food. Now people have set up there own stalls and stores. It’s more thriving; it’s developing. Opportunities seem to be easier to come by and it’s far more touristy now. Before you could walk around Havana and you could count the tourists on one hand. Now they’re everywhere, especially in the old town. It’s good and bad; it’s not as authentic, but they are bringing money into the country.“ Indeed Matt says Cuba could change totally when Fidel Castro dies, and he says now is a good time to see the country, as it could become westernised.

“Cubans say they don’t know what’s going to happen when he dies,“ he adds. “People say the Americans are waiting to move in with their fast-food joints.“ Matt has photographed in many places around the world, including Bosnia, Guatemala, Indonesia and Tibet. He says countries like Cuba are special to him.

“I like places that haven’t been globalised, where you can still see what life was like 50 years ago,“ he says. “I went to Vietnam 15 years ago, and went back there recently and it had completely changed. In Madagascar you don’t have McDonalds or Starbucks.“ For Matt, photography doesn’t pay the bills; it’s something he does alongside his main job is as an English teacher at London Metropolitan University in Holloway. But the 34-year-old hopes to concentrate more on photography in the future. He says events like the E17 Art Trail – in which the work of more than 1,200 artists is going on show arond Walthamstow – are very important to local artists like himself.

A Lo Cubano is at Beyca Retro, 83 Grove Road, Walthamstow, from September 3–12, 10.30am–6.30pm daily.

Highlights of E17 Art Trail

Here is a small selection of the events taking place as part of the E17 Art Trail. For further details and a full list of events visit www.e17arttrail.co.uk

Our Art Work: Twenty children transform the fence at Higham Hill Children’s Centre into a work of art.

Works from the Drawing Studio Residency Workshops: An exhibition of works by members of the African Caribbean Women’s Development Centre and Waltham Forest Day Services.

Adorn: An exhibition of handcrafted silver jewellery by Carol Zilla.

Troubleman: A series of photographic fashion images shot in and around Walthamstow, exploring issues of male identity.

Best In Show: Photographs from RHS flower shows by Bronac McNeill.

Colours of Contemporary Incas: Photographs and words by Dante Vilca documenting the life, landscape and crafts of a remote Peruvian community.

Magnetic Walthamstow: Sixty-four seperate magnets showing drawings of Walthamstow will be found in the streets and parks during the art trail.

E17 Art Trail September 3-12